Burner for alcohol and like fluids



March 1i, 1941. R. ECKERT BURNER FOR ALCOHOL AND LIKE FLUIDS Filed May 29, 1936 Jhim@ @ms zZ INVENTOR BY M.

ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention concerns a burner for alcohol and like uids, and, more particularly, a burner vwhich causes full combustion when such a fuel is fed at a small pressure head.

One object of this invention deals with a spontaneous and complete combustion of the iluid fuel, so that a relatively safe fuel like alcohol may be used with great eniciency and may take the place of dangerous and explosive fuels like illuminating or natural gas, kerosene and other hydrocarbon. A burner of my invention may be used everywhere, because, when we consider safe transportation to a point-of use, alcohol, or the like, ranks high among the fluid fuels.

Other objects of this invention concern atomization and preheating for the purpose of vaporization of the fuel.

Additionally this invention is directed to a matter of great import in connection with the combustion of alcohol and the like, which is the control of the admission of air, and the provision of thorough mixing of the air with the fuel for complete combustion.

Further objects of this invention will be brought forth later on in this description of my invenr pump `and/or a pressure tank in Which the pressure applied is equalized. Such a tank may supply a plurality of burners of my invention by Way of a distributing pipe system. Or one or more of the burners of my invention may be directly mounted upon a pressure tank of suitable size, e. g. I may provide for a self-contained portable pump-tank-burner assembly.

An important and distinctive thought of this invention is the repeated upsetting and reflecting of a stream of alcohol or the like, while being mixed with air; this will be termed baffling herein.

In order to illustrate the manifold adaptability of burners of my invention, I herein describe a vertical and horizontal modification thereof, the former serving for instance for cooking purposes or for heating a boiler, the latter illustrating the usefulness of my invention for torches, a blow ,torch for instance.

Such specific examples of my invention are illustrated at a somewhat enlarged scale in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a partly sectioned elevation of a burner of my invention arranged vertically.

Fig. 2 represents the bott-om view of a cap B 5 used in connection with a device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in a top view a section of the airdirector A used in connection with a device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partly sectioned elevation of a modiiication of my invention, illustrating its application to a blow torch.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the various views.

The assemblies of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 of the drawing show as general parts of my invention a cap B, an air-director A, and a socket S, supporting these parts, and also a wick W, and a pan P serving to receive fuel for starting the burner.

By Way of the valve, a needle valve V for instance, with handle H the socket S, which has the form of a threaded bushing, is connected to a source of the fuel, e. g. a pressure tank T.

Unless otherwise specifically provided for hereinafter, one or the other of the parts of the burner hereinabove referred to may assume various shapes and may be assembled from two or more divisional parts, as it may be prescribed by the eld of heating in which the device is to be used, or by considerations of manufacture and economy.

Cap B comprises a table or disc II, which is connected to the stem I2 by Way of two conical steps I4 and I5. At the lower end the stem I2 is provided with a thread I3, which is engaged in the tapped hole I6 extending down into the bore I9 of socket S. The top end of the socket S is conically recessed, so as to t the conical step I5 on the cap B. Suitable means may be 40 provided for on the cap Bl so that it may be tightened upon the socket S and` so that the conical step I5 is snugly dravvn` into abutment with the conical recess II of the socket S. For r such purpose I may for instance provide some holes I8 in top of the cap B, and a suitable wrench or key K may be inserted in these holes serves to tighten the cap B in the socket S, or to disassemble the parts. Into the bore I9 of 50 socket S extends from the bottom a tapped hole 2U serving to receive anipple 2l extending up from valve V. A hexagonal formation 22 upon the outside of the socket S provides means for tightening said socket upon the nipple 2| and 55 parts valve V, the washer 23 making the connection fluid tight.

The wick W serves to retain and diffuse and to strain the fluids supplied to the burner, and originally it may be accommodated in a hole 24 extending up from the bottom into the stem I2 of the cap B. When cap B is assembled with the socket S, the wick W lls wholly or partly the the tapped hole I6 below the stem I2 and may even extend into the bore I9, serving also to i'llter the fluid arising in the socket before combustion.

In order to permit the fuel to arise over the inside of the threaded part IS around the outside of the stem I2, the threaded part I3 of said stem may be flattened off on one or more sides as indicated by flats 25 in .the view of 1Eig. 2. At the same time the ragged corrugations of the overlapping threads upon the outside of the stem and upon the inside of the socket begin to atomize and volatilize the fluid arising therebetween under pressure, particularly under thefheat available at said point, as will be explained herein later.

In order to allow the fluid to issue from the socket when it reaches the topthereof, I provide radial grooves 2G on one of the abutting conical faces, e. g. in the coni-cal step I5 of the cap B, said grooves 26 serving as channels directing the radiation of the fluid in all directions as it leaves the socket at the top thereof.

The fluid rushes along the grooves 26 and nally strikes the atter cone Iii, is redirected and reflected thereby, and is upset and whirled by frictioning against the said inclined face as well as against the bottom of table or disc il, which is again tilted relatively to the conical step I4. The outside of the socket S is threaded at 21, said thread vertically adjustably supporting the hub 28 (thread'Sli) of the air-director A. In the view of Fig. 1 the air-director is set at a lowest position, in order to permit other parts of the device to be-clearly viewed in their association with each other. Normally the air-director and the means P exemplarily used for setting it in a particular position are adjusted in a higher position, as indicated by a broken outline of positions of said parts to the left. The flange 29 of air-director A is countersunk from the top, so that there is a chamber 30 in the air-director A, to which air is admitted from the ybottom by way of vents, e. g. an inner row 3i and an outer row 32 of holes.

For the purpose of warming up and starting the burner, the flames of a fuel accommodated in the countersunk top part 33 of pan P strike up through the said rows of holes 3! and 32. Said pan also collects liquid fuel overflowing from the top of the socket S, when fluid is admitted in the first instance; thus the fuel in pan P is ignited to start the burner; it heats the burner generally, and more particularly the alcohol in the upper portion of the socket; heat is conducted into the socket by the cap B from the top; at the same time the heat is centripetally propagated from the heated air-director.

A in any preferred position. The air-director A and pan P are for instance in position AA, PP, When adjusted in as high a position as possible upon the socket S. Between these two extreme positions of the parts A and P, there is under varying conditions some position of these parts where the compartment 30 is upwardly closed in by the disc II and the conical bottom faces I4 and I5 of the cap B in such a manner, that the fuel radially whirling out from underneath the cap B and reflected onto air-director A mixes with the air in compartment 39 to burn completely and to provide a llame substantially enveloping the disc II of cap B.

The heat imparted to the disc II of the cap B is conductively propagated downward by way of the conical steps to the stem I8, the fuel is diffused in the wick W inside of said stern, and also the fuel arising from underneath the stem around the oiside thereof is preheated and volatilized so that a very line dispersion of the fuel is ejected by way of the grooves or channels 25.

' The radiating stream of fuel draws in air from below through the holesin the air-director A, and the fuel and air are mixed together substantially before escaping through the annular passage between the outer circumference of the cap B and the top rim of the air-director A.

Substantially the same principles of construction and operation prevail in the torch of Fig. 4. Parts which correspond in this modification to similar parts'of the modification of Figs. l, 2 and 3, are similarly lettered or numbered. But, for purposes of identification, such letters or numbers are primed in Fig. 4. l

The principle and the basic arrangement and general shape of parts being substantially the same, there must by necessity be a change in order to effect adaptation of the invention for a blow torch. For instance the cap B'-which was shown to be flat and large in diameter in Fig. I is here shown as an elongated and attenuated core, comprising a long tip lll over which close the flames and which is thereby heated. The conical part 4I with the grooves (e. g. six in number) 42 extends at an acute angle into the correspondingly shaped inside chamber 43 at the front end of the socket S. The threaded arbor or stem 44 of'the cap B is again indicated to be flattened on several sides 45, so as to allow the fuel to pass. A wick W' is accommodated in a hole extending from the back into the cap B', and its free end lies in the opening extending through the socket S.

The socket S is provided on opposite endsand in a manner analogous to the arrangement of Fig. l-with tapped holes I 5 and 29', which serve to receive the stem' of the cap B' and a nipple connecting to the fuel supply, respectively. The thread 21 upon the outside of the socket S is shown in this instance to extend over substantially the whole length of its barrel, but the thread has been removed on one or more sides 46 near the base of the socket in order to provide for gripping faces,`so `that the socket may be engaged iby awrench and tightened upon the valve V.

Since the thread 2l extends in the modication of Fig. 4 over the whole length of socket S', the air-director'A may be adjusted: over a cornparatively long horizontal distance, so that We may readily choose the best position of the airdirector A for appropriate admission of air for the combustion of the fuel.

For the purpose of the adaptation for a blow torch, the air-director A has been converted into a shell or cylinder from its saucer shape of Fig. 1. Part A' plays a more important role in this instance, than in the modication of Fig. l, because it assumes some of the functions, which in the case of Fig. 1 were assumed by the cap B.

The cap B' of Fig. 4 cannot readily offer the faces for upsetting and redirecting the current of the fluid passing out of the socket by Way of the grooves or channels 42'. Therefore that role is assumed by the air-director A', the current or stream of gaseous or atomized fuel striking the inner surface of the air-control A', and being thus upset, diverted, whirled and dispersed. The `current of fuel as redirected or reflected by the inside of the air-control A may again strike the tip 4D of the cap B', and it is also directed together with the air mixed and combusting therewith, so that the ame issuing from the front of the air-director A' is concentrated and of the type desirable in blow torches. It must be mentioned, that a flame issuing from a torch of this invention is evenly hot throughout, i. e. it is not hot at its surface only, noris the heat confined to stratified layers.

The vent holes 41 provided in part 48 of the air-director A are slightly inclined, issuing upon the inside forwardly, so that the gases travelling inside thereof do not readily strike back.

The air-director A' is shown to comprise in addition to the part 48 a nozzle 49 at the front, which is inserted in said part 43, and which is perforated in registering alignment with the surrounding portions of part 48, so that-in accordance with the tenets of blow torch air-controla relative adjustment of parts 48 and 49 relatively displaces the registering holes, and so that these parts cover each other more or less, permitting control of the amount of air admitted as it may be desired.

From a constructive point of view the twopart arrangement of the air-director A' also permits me to provide oppositely directed flares 50 and 5I upon the inside of the parts 48 and 49, respectively, so that a larger clearance space is provided around the cylindrical portion 52 of the cap B', so that the contracting bore of nozzle 49 interferes at a preferred angle with the flow of fuel issuing from grooves or channels 42 and the said bore at the same time focuses the burning gases, as they leave the nozzle.

The pan P, which in accordance with blow torch practice is here shown to be arranged longitudinally, underneath the air-director A', is preferably extended so far, that the burning fuel contained therein substantially heats the whole length of the cap B'. During continued operation of the torch the frontward double cone of the cap B' remains hot by virtue of the surrounding fuel and also the fuel accommodated in wick W' is heated, and is already in a vapor phase or in a finely divided liquid state, when it escapes from'the socket by Way of channels or grooves 42.

I-Iaving thus described my invention by way of two specific modifications, yet I do not wish to be limited thereby, except as the state of the art and the appended claims may require, for it is obvious that various modifications and changes may be made in the form of embodiment of my invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a burner for alcohol, a socket conducting the alcohol, an annular face at the outlet end of said socket, a cap mounted upon said socket, an annular face upon said cap closingly fitting upon said annular face at the end of said socket, grooves cut across one of said faces and serving as channels for the fuel issuing fromsaid socket between said cap and said socket, and a stem depending from said cap into said socket, positively but removably engaged in said socket and securing said faces into abutment with each other so that the said grooves exclusively define a limited passage for the alcohol.

2. In a burner for alcohol, a socket conducting the alcohol, a conical face at the outlet end of said socket, a cap mounted upon said socket, a conical face upon said cap` fitting upon said conical face at the end of said socket, radial grooves in said face upon said cap and serving as channels for the alcohol issuing from said socket between said cap and said socket, and a threaded stem depending from said cap, engaged in said socket and clamping said faces onto each other.

3. In a burner-for alcohol, a socket conducting the alcohol, a broad conical face at the outlet end of said socket, a cap mounted upon said socket, a broad conical face upon said cap fitting upon said `conical face at the end of said socket, radial grooves crossing one of said faces and serving as channels for the alcohol issuing from said socket betweeln said cap and said socket, and a stem extending from said cap into and engaged upon the said socket and drawing said conical faces into abutment upon each other so that said grooves serve as long, cross-sectionally limited channels for the issuing alcohol.

4. In a burner for alcohol, a socket conducting the alcohol, a conical face at the outlet endof said socket, a cap mounted upon said socket, a conical face upon said cap tting upon said conical face at the end of said socket, regularly spaced grooves cut across one of said faces and serving as narrow, long passages for the alcohol issuing from said socket between said cap and said socket and a threaded stern extending from said cap into and engaged upon the said socket and drawing said conical faces into abutment upon eachother, the thread serving for the engagement between the stem and the socket being longitudinally recessed in parts in order to permit passage of alcohol in said socket around said stem.

5. In a burner for alcohol, a socket conducting the alcohol, a conical face at the outlet end of said socket, a cap mounted upon said socket, a conical face upon said cap fitting in wide, annular abutment upon said conical face at the end of said socket, grooves cut radially across one of said faces and. serving as channels for the alcohol issuing from said socket between said cap and said socket, a stem extending from said cap into and engaged upon the said socket and drawing said conical faces into abutment upon each other, and a flat flange forming'part of said cap and interposed at an obtuse anglein the direction of said channels.

6. In a burner for alcohol, a socket conducting the alcohol and having a conical face at its top end, a cap mounted upon said socket, having substantially the shape of a disc protruding over said socket in all directions of "a horizontal plane, and having a conical face on the bottom which closingly fits upon said conical face at the end of said socket, radial grooves cut across one of said faces and serving as long, narrow, uniformly, cross-sectioned channels for the alcohol issuing from said socket between said cap and said socket, and a stem extending from said cap into and engaged upon the said socket and drawing said conical faces into abutment upon each other.

7. In a pressure burner for alcohol, a socket serving as a conduit for the alcohol and having an end surface at the'top which represents a conic zone, a cap having a bottom surface shaped to t said end surface and extending outwardly in all radial directions beyond said end face, a

10 screw stern extending from said cap into said 

